


Version 1.0

by notjustmom



Series: IronStrange Bingo [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Backstory, Flirting, M/M, just two arrogant geniuses, no sign of Pepper here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 12:15:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17918636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: Prompt: History (I have several history spaces on my card, this is my first take.)Somehow Tony and Stephen end up back on Earth, post snap, specifically in one of Tony's labs at Stark Tower, Stephen is still mending from being 'dusted' while Tony appears to be more there than not.





	Version 1.0

"No baggage." 

Stephen blinked at Tony, then looked around, or tried to look around, but found he couldn't. "Hmm?"

Tony glanced at him, then shrugged. "I mean, you know who I am, unless you've lived under a rock for most of the last ten years, and I should've known about you, but Fury - damn it -"

"Make sense, Stark," Stephen grumbled at him and struggled to sit up.

"I wouldn't do that, quite yet. Not sure how well - honestly, I'm not even sure if you're real, or if I'm here or -"

"Where do you think we are?"

"My lab. Appears to be my lab, anyway. You just need to be still a bit longer, I think you are fully undusted - or decremated - whatever - and, no, I don't know much more than you, at the moment. And I don't know where anyone else is. Appears we arrived, however we arrived here, together, kind of. Sorry, not specific. I hate being not specific. I'm thinking I'll piece it together eventually, but for now -"

"What did you mean by 'no baggage'?" Stephen whispered as he closed his eyes and remained as still as possible.

"I meant, simply, that since we basically had just met right before we got on that bad ass ugly flying donut, I haven't done much to offend you, yet. Usually it doesn't take long for me to do that, but at least there's no carry over from -"

"We met once, before."

Tony stepped back from Stephen's bed and rolled his eyes. "Tell me you're joking."

"Yeah, I am. Sorry. Couldn't help myself."

"Don't laugh, balloon-animal dude - oh, that's right, you did call me a douchebag - really, a douchebag? That was the best you could come up with? Just don't laugh yet -"

"I don't."

"You don't what?"

"Laugh."

Tony stared down at the man who had just risked everything, and everyone because of him and shook his head. "Since when?"

"Not sure."

"Everyone laughs." Stephen lifted an eyebrow at him, and Tony blinked in response and tried to come up with a name for the color of the sorcerer's eyes, but failed. "Give me a week."

"A week."

"Won't matter, it won't take that long."

"You are an arrogant ass, aren't you?"

"I come by it honestly, I've spent years trying to undo it, but the arrogant ass part seems to be tightly attached to my DNA. Uh-uh - don't smile, you don't want to make this bet too easy on me."

"A wager, then?" Stephen asked, a hint of curiosity lay somewhere in the resigned sigh.

"Dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Or breakfast? - Shit."

"Both, perhaps?" Stephen's voice had dropped to a register that made Tony's toes curl and he sat down hard in the chair next to Stephen's bed.

"I would have remembered -"

"Hmm?"

"You. I know my past is a bit checkered, but I would've remembered you."

"That memorable, hmm?"

"No. I just have a photographic memory - some people consider it cheating -"

"It isn't."

Tony looked at him under his eyelashes and Stephen cleared his throat, as he felt his face warm in a way he hadn't felt in years, if ever.

"And yes, you are that memorable."

"I'm an arrogant ass as well."

"So I gathered." Tony snorted then carefully placed two fingers on the pulse point in Stephen's right hand and waited for a moment. "You seem to be nearly human again."

"Not sure how human I was before."

"You have an answer for everything don't you?" Tony rumbled quietly and began to turn away.

Stephen bit his lip, then whispered, "no. There is no answer for you, I'm not even sure what the question is, honestly."

Tony laughed as he drew his hand away from Stephen's, and saw the beginning of a smile dance at the corners of Stephen's eyes. "No one has found one yet, perhaps -"

"Give me some time, Stark."

Tony looked around the lab and shrugged. "Seems we have plenty of time, if nothing else."

"That's something at least." A crack of a smile brightened the sorcerer's face and he bit his lip.

"Anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are when you smile?"

Stephen stared at him and couldn't think of a single word to say.


End file.
